Celebrating African & Caribbean Pioneers in Health and Kidney Care
October is Black History Month – a time to reflect on the achievements, resilience and contributions of Black people around the world. At AACKA (African & Afro-Caribbean Kidney Awareness), we’re proud to highlight individuals of African and Caribbean heritage who have broken barriers and transformed health care, especially in kidney health and the caring professions.
Trailblazers in Caring and Public Health
• Mary Seacole (Jamaica) – The Jamaican-Scottish nurse who used her own resources to travel to the Crimean War. She set up the 'British Hotel' near Balaclava to nurse sick and wounded soldiers and is remembered for her holistic, compassionate approach to care.
• Kofoworola Abeni Pratt (Nigeria) – The first Black nurse in the UK’s NHS and Nigeria’s first Chief Nursing Officer. She championed professional standards and training for nurses across Africa.
• Hazel Johnson-Brown (USA, African-American) – The first Black female general in the US Army and leader of the Army Nurse Corps, modernising nurse training and patient care systems.
• Dame Cecily Williams (Jamaica) – Early 20th-century paediatrician who first described and named 'kwashiorkor' (severe protein malnutrition) and advocated globally for breastfeeding and maternal-child health.
Leaders in Kidney Care and Transplantation
• Dumisani Vuyisile Andrew Mzamane (South Africa) – South Africa’s first Black nephrologist; he built up the renal unit at Baragwanath Hospital to serve under-resourced communities.
• Elmi Muller (South Africa) – A transplant surgeon who pioneered HIV-positive to HIV-positive kidney transplants at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, opening life-saving opportunities for patients once excluded from transplants.
• Velma P. Scantlebury-White (Barbados/USA) – The first Black female transplant surgeon in the USA. She has performed more than 2,000 kidney transplants and campaigns for diversity and equity in organ donation.
• Samuel L. Kountz, Jr. (USA, African-American) – Kidney-transplant pioneer who co-developed the kidney perfusion machine, improving organ preservation, and advanced tissue typing and anti-rejection treatment.
• John Olurotimi Badero (Nigeria/USA) – The only known physician board-certified in both cardiology and nephrology, bridging heart and kidney disease care.
• Professor Olabisi Irele Adewole (Nigeria) – Public health nurse and advocate for community-based kidney health screening and hypertension prevention programmes in West Africa.
Why Their Stories Matter
These pioneers show how vision, determination and compassion can change lives. From the battlefield hospitals of Crimea to today’s transplant theatres and community health centres, their work has improved access to care, challenged inequities and saved countless lives. At AACKA, we’re inspired by their legacy to continue raising awareness of kidney health within African and Afro-Caribbean communities – empowering people to protect their kidneys and live healthier, longer lives.
